Auckland & Queenstown - 5 day itinerary

Route

Highlights

Cruise on a luxury yacht before retiring for drinks in the inner city

Fly to Queenstown to enjoy delicious wine from Gibbston Valley

Join a tour to spectacular Milford Sound - a World Heritage Area

Take in some of the best New Zealand has to offer with a five-day visit to Auckland and Queenstown. Enjoy fine dining and sailing in New Zealand’s major international gateway city of Auckland before travelling to Queenstown to find pure inspiration and adventure among some of the country’s most stunning scenery.

DAY ONE - AUCKLAND

Bridge Climb or Bungy

Join an Auckland Harbour Bridge climbing tour to scale the city's iconic bridge and take in stunning views of the city and harbour. The brave can try bungy jumping from the purpose-built jump pod suspended beneath the bridge.

Lunch on the waterfront

Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct Harbour are ideal places to enjoy lunch. Located on Auckland’s waterfront, both offer a wide range of dining options for groups of all sizes. Enjoy views of the harbour while sampling some of New Zealand’s most delicious food and wine.

Get out on the water

Spend the afternoon learning the ropes on an ex-America's Cup racing yacht. Auckland hosted the prestigious America's Cup yachting regatta in 2000 and 2003 and Explore Events now offers visitors the chance to experience sailing in one of the multi-million dollar yachts that took part.

Welcome dinner

Complete your first day in Auckland with a sumptuous welcome dinner. There are dozens of venues for incentive groups, from waterfront function centres to historic buildings and elegant hotel ballrooms.

DAY TWO - AUCKLAND

Island Time

Take the ferry or board a luxury super yacht and cruise to Waiheke Island for a full-day guided tour of the island’s award-winning vineyards, olive groves and beautiful golden beaches. Tours to the island are fully commentated and offer tailored lunch options for groups. Soak up some sun, meet the laid back locals and savour world-class wine and fresh local produce.

Dinner and drinks

Return to Auckland in the evening for dinner. The central city has restaurants catering to all tastes and group sizes, while Ponsonby is packed full of stylish bars, all within a stone’s throw of each other.

DAY THREE - QUEENSTOWN

Journey to Queenstown

Now that you’ve experienced some of the best of what Auckland has to offer, it’s time to find pure inspiration in the South Island city of Queenstown. Board a plane at Auckland International Airport for a morning flight. Don’t miss the chance to travel from Queenstown Airport to your accommodation in style with a jet boat transfer across Lake Wakatipu. There’s no better way to arrive in the adventure capital of the world.

Lunch Among the vines

Take a short trip to the nearby Gibbston Valley wine region to enjoy lunch at one of its renowned vineyards. The scenic, high altitude region is known for its Pinot Noir and its fine selection of tasty cheeses. Spend the afternoon sampling the local vintages on a boutique wine tour of the region.

Off Road Safari

Spend the afternoon on a 4WD tour of New Zealand’s backcountry with Nomad Safaris. Learn about the Queenstown area’s gold mining history or visit sites where The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed as you explore by Land Rover or quad bike.

Exclusive lakeside dining

Travel back to Queenstown in the evening for dinner at an exclusive lakeside restaurant alongside Lake Wakatipu. World class restaurants on the waterfront serve some of the region’s best fresh produce and wines. Relax with a meal as you look out over the lake towards the Remarkables mountain range.

DAY FOUR - QUEENSTOWN

A day in paradise

Join a full-day tour to Milford Sound to explore the area by land, sea and air. Milford Sound is renowned as one of the world’s natural wonders. Its clear waters and surrounding rainforest are ideal places to view native birds and marine life, including penguins, fur seals and dolphins. Embark on a luxury coach journey from Queenstown to Milford Sound before joining an eco-cruise to experience the scenery and wildlife from the water. Complete your Milford Sound experience with a scenic flight to Queenstown.

Dinner with a view

Finish the day with a mouth watering dinner at a vineyard near Queenstown. Stoneridge Estate or Mount Soho Winery are ideal for incentive groups and unsurpassed panoramic lake and alpine mountain views.

DAY FIVE - QUEENSTOWN

Scenic helicopter tour

Begin the day with a scenic helicopter flight over Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown, before landing on top of mile-high Cecil Peak. The relaxed and leisurely flight will leave you with a lasting appreciation of how Queenstown earned its name - a town literally "fit for a Queen". Return to earth in Queenstown for an early lunch at one of its many venues catering for incentive groups. Re-energise and prepare for an afternoon of adventure.

Jet boat safari

Experience an afternoon of breathtaking scenery, Māori heritage and inspiring adventure with Dart River Jet Safaris. The safari combines jet boating, 4WD touring and hiking as you travel from the head of Lake Wakatipu into the pristine Dart River and spectacular Mount Aspiring National Park.

Farewell dinner

Return to Queenstown in the evening for a sumptuous dinner at Skyline Restaurant. Situated on top of Bob’s Peak and accessed by gondola, the restaurant serves a mouth-watering buffet including South Island salmon, seafood, salads, roast meats and delicious desserts. It's the ideal place for that special night out, and is a great spot in Queenstown to watch the sun go down.